austrian national day
2017
it’s a beautiful day
we stand in line on heroes’ square
along the castle
to get into the president’s quarters
next to us in line
is a guy from syria
his german is very good
he hands me his phone
what he writes in german
sounds like 19th century
but it’s clear and correct
a small scrawny guy
don’t know if his family
is still in syria
at least he can stay
there are 12 words or more
for love in arabic
translating himself
into german or english
he feels rather clumsy
going inside the imperial palace
the president’s office
security is not very strict
our guide from the offfice
in her typical
austrian diction
sounds proud and detached
and somewhat ironic
at the same time
we don’t catch the president
but we see the empress
she looks ordinary
the most powerful woman
maria theresia
now this is the room
where the president receives the government
yes, it’s much smaller than on tv
there was heating inside the building
in imperial times
the whole middle tract
air going up and down
all the way to the basement
very advanced for the time
only one room
has a fireplace
they had 15 degrees in this room
15 celsius in winter
this was the warmest place in the building
largest castle in europe
national day, austrian army
the atmosphere is rather relaxed
tee and good music
for everyone
in the president’s courtyard
regional army band, very good jazz
and of course strauss
children climbing
national monuments
austrian national day
nothing to brag about
at least the president
is not a german nationalist
last year wasn’t easy
all those elections
this year is much worse
next year those fuckers
will be in government
it was a nice national day
it’s a beautiful country

stars in different shapes
painted on paper
kids are playing under the stars
his son finished painting
now he’s outside
father looks at the stars
till he can’t stand it
picks up a red pen
to make sure
each one is a five-pointed star

viennese is the ugliest language
I cannot really tell it apart
vienna was the city of hitler
the city of schirach
vienna was once a city of jews
I am from vienna
viennese is the most beautiful language
vienna was the city of freud
a city of music
I know exactly how it should sound

early morning
walking on foreign streets
people doing their exercise
when you walk up everyone greets you
the only one who doesn’t look at you
he must be asian
not a japanese
not a korean
not a taiwanese
not a hongkonger
he could only be your compatriot
from the great chinese mainland
just like a dog
sniffs out the one scent we’ve in common
“what the fuck for have I made it all the way here
to the edge of the world
so I can run into
one stinking swarm of you
locusts!”

Sept. 28, 2014 in Burlington, Vt
Tr. MW, Oct. 2014 in Johnson, Vt

Yi ShaDREAM 452

my high school friend huang wenzhen
lives in melbourne, australia
last night I dreamed of her
she sits in a park
in the middle of a street
in australia
her clothes are all black
just like a witch
knows everything in the universe
I walk up to her
I’m sitting down
facing her
I ask her
what happened exactly
that time in our puberty

Sept. 2014
Tr. MW, Oct. 2014

Yi ShaDREAM #453: ON THE RUN

I am on the run

I run to my relative
he gives me a key
I can stay in his backyard
in a house made of glass …

I run to a woman
she is all smiles and takes me with her
to go see her husband
who is the kitchen chef
at public security …

I am crying
on the street in pouring rain
a helpless child
bawling
all through the rain